In the dark season, the poinsettia lights up with rich green and bright red – a messenger of joy, hope, and warmth that reminds us of light and closeness. It brings fresh life to the cold, symbolizing Christmas joy.

But beneath the festive splendor lurks a shadow: a fleeting dream that withers away in the trash after a few weeks, born of peat-rich soil and toxic zeal, a silent reproach to our hasty transience.

Watercolor on paper, 40×27.5 cm